Starting Montana teacher salaries lowest in nation

HELENA - Starting teachers in Montana earned the least amount of money in the country in 2002-03, and their more senior colleagues didn't fare much better, a new national report shows.

State officials point to a drop in school funding over the past dozen years for the disparity, which they say is costing students a quality education and making it hard to recruit teachers.

The survey, released today by the American Federation of Teachers, shows that Montana's 10,427 public school teachers made an average of $35,754 in 2002-03, the most recent figures available. Starting teachers earned just $23...